Category: salads

green beans

Crowd Pleasing Creamy Green Beans

Chef KimLeave a Comment on Crowd Pleasing Creamy Green Beans

This Creamy Green Bean recipe can easily take the place of the beloved, but not so good for you, green bean casserole. By using a creamy cheese alternative for the cream sauce and adding in some sautéed shallots, all the flavors come together just right, your tongue will thank you. Bring this along to your holiday family gatherings and please the crowd.

 

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Creamed Green Beans with Shallots

Creamy green beans better than traditional green bean casserole
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: green beans, hemp seeds, pine nuts, shallots
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 recipe for herbed hemp-pine nut spread recipe in link below
  • 1 tsp miso
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • water
  • 1 cup shallots sliced
  • 2 pounds green beans can substitute kale or spinach

Instructions

  • Trim and slice beans lengthwise. Steam until bright green and tender.
  • Combine the hemp spread in a blender with the miso, onion powder and 2 tablespoons of water. Blend well. Add more water to reach a thin creamy consistency.
  • Sauté the shallots until lightly browned; add the beans and cream sauce, stirring to warm through and until the sauce is slightly thickened.

Notes

Recipe for Herbed Hemp-Pine Nut Spread
 
cranberries

Cranberry Orange Fig Relish

Chef KimLeave a Comment on Cranberry Orange Fig Relish

If you like cranberries, this is like candy on a spoon! This cranberry orange fig relish is tasty on the thanksgiving table, but it’s also nice to have on hand for a compote over banana nice cream or coconut yogurt or spooned over oatmeal or roasted sweet potatoes. I’ve even used it in a tart over sliced pears, yum!

The orange and figs in this recipe give it a nice sweetness that compliments the tart of the cranberries. This is much better than the cranberry jelly in the can and so much better for you, providing lots of vitamin C from the cranberries and oranges, which is important this time of year.

Try it and let me know how you like it!

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Cranberry Orange Fig Relish

Boost your vitamin C with this luscious cranberry relish that can be used in multiple ways.
Prep Time15 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cranberries, figs, oranges
Author: Chef Kim

Equipment

  • food processor

Ingredients

  • 8 dried figs softened and chopped
  • 8 oz bag fresh or frozen cranberries about 2 cups
  • 1 navel orange, rind chopped, flesh sectioned
  • 1 teaspoon rosemary
  • ¼- 1/3 cup coconut sugar powdered
  • 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped crystallized ginger

Instructions

  • Coarsely chop the figs in a food processor.
  • Peel the orange and chop the rind, section the orange and add to the figs with the cranberries.
  • Add in remaining ingredients and pulse to combine.
  • Pour into container and refrigerate overnight for best flavor. If the sauce is overly liquid, add a tablespoon of ground chia seeds, stir well to mix evenly and let sit to thicken.
  • Can be made one week ahead. Keeps well in fridge and/or freezer. Serve at room temperature.

Notes

This relish combines well with herbed hemp spread and as a pie filling with sliced pears. It can also be served as a canape topping or spooned over oatmeal, yogurt or ice cream.

 

salad

Two Salads For Your Thanksgiving Table

Chef KimLeave a Comment on Two Salads For Your Thanksgiving Table

I love this time of year when squash, apples and cranberries are abundant. So I wanted to share a couple colorful salads that are great this time of year and delicious enough to adorn your Thanksgiving table.

Bringing salads into the options at Thanksgiving benefit all who partake, because the phytonutrients will actually help the body handle the richness that comes from other traditional foods. Did you know there is a spike of heart attacks on Thanksgiving Day? Bringing in phytonutrients found in these two salads may help lower that risk. Eating colorful foods improve heart health. Each color imparts a specific phytonutrient and they work together for optimal body function.

The first salad is a mixture of roasted squash and cranberries tossed with shaved Brussel sprouts and kale and topped off with a tangy sweet mustard dressing.

The second is a raw salad combining nuts, cranberries, apples and fennel marinated in a sweet orange dressing.

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Thanksgiving Squash Salad

This is a harvest salad that is brightly colored and has a sweet-tangy mustard dressing that plays nicely with the sweetness of the squash.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: brussel sprouts, cranberries, kale, walnuts, winter squash
Servings: 6
Author: Chef Kim

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Brussel sprouts
  • 1 bunch lacinato kale
  • 2 delicate squash
  • 1 cup cranberries fresh or frozen
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup apple juice or water
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt or Himalayan salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash and dry the squash. Cut lengthwise in half, clean out seeds and cut crosswise into 1/2 inch moons (the squash skin is edible). Toss with a little olive oil and then lay on a parchment lined sheet pan.
  • Pour cranberries onto the sheet pan and spread out around the squash. Place in oven and roast for 20 minutes, check for doneness, cook a few minutes longer if needed.
  • Prepare the vinaigrette: combine the maple syrup, apple juice, vinegar, Dijon and salt in a small bowl and whisk to mix well.
  • Thinly slice the Brussel sprouts and kale, combine in a mixing bowl with 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette and toss well or massage to coat the greens.
  • When squash and berries are done cooking, toss squash, cranberries and walnuts with the shredded greens and top with more vinaigrette.
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Cranberry Nut Holiday Salad

Crunchy, sweet and tangy come together in this yummy nutty salad.
Prep Time30 minutes
marinating time2 hours
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: apple cider, cranberry, fennel, pecans
Servings: 6
Author: Chef Kim

Ingredients

  • 1 cup fresh cranberries
  • 1 cup walnut halves
  • 2 cups apples, diced
  • 1 cup pecan halves
  • 1 cup celery, sliced thin
  • 1 fennel bulb, diced
  • 2 green onions, sliced
  • 1 tsp each marjoram, oregano, rosemary
  • 1 lemon zest
  • 1 lime zest
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup olive oil

Instructions

  • In a food processor, combine the cranberries and walnuts and pulse together until chunky. Transfer to a large bowl.
  • Chop the pecans and add to the bowl. Dice the apples, celery, fennel and onions nd add to the bowl.
  • combine the herbs, zest, salt, juice, syrup and oil in a small bowl and whisk together to combine. Pour half of the dressing over the nut mixture and toss well to coat.
  • Allow to marinate for at least two hours. Serve with remaining dressing if desires.

 

Mediterranean salad

Mediterranean Salad

Chef KimLeave a Comment on Mediterranean Salad

This Mediterranean salad is very filling, especially if you add the chickpeas or make it alongside Walnut Falafels. I think the lemon and garlic dressing ties it all together.

This is a play on a bulgur salad I used to make. Now that I am gluten-free,  I use quinoa, oat groats or brown rice to make it. Making it all veggie by using cauliflower rice is a great tasting option as well.

The dressing is also one you could easily whisk together at the beginning of the week to have on hand for green salads throughout the week.

This recipe makes enough for 5 main dishes, or is a great one to make during your weekly prep time and then portion out for the week. It holds up well and would last covered and sealed for up to 5 days. It’s a wonderful one to portion into jars for the week and then pack in extra greens on top so that you have a salad meal ready to go. Easy grab-n-go, so you’re not tempted by the drive through.

It also makes a great summer dinner for the family. I hope you enjoy it.

 

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Mediterranean Salad

Fresh vegetables and grain tied together with a garlic lemon dressing.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: chickpeas, quinoa, vegetables
Servings: 5
Author: Chef Kim

Equipment

  • mixing bowl
  • small saucepan
  • Cutting board
  • sharpened chef's knife

Ingredients

For the Salad:

  • 1 cup quinoa, oat groats, millet or rice
  • 2 ½ cups water
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 1 cup zucchini, diced
  • 1 stalk of broccoli
  • 1/4 cup red onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup parsley, minced
  • 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed optional

For the Dressing:

  • 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp water or white wine vinegar
  • ½ tsp Dijon mustard
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
  • 1/2 tsp salt and ground pepper

Instructions

For the dressing:

  • Whisk together dressing ingredients in a small bowl and let sit so flavors meld while making the salad.

For the salad:

  • Combine grain and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer according to grain directions. usually cooking quinoa for 10-15 minutes, taking off the heat and and letting it steam, covered for 5 minutes. Oat groats and rice will take longer, about 25-30 minutes, just don't cook until its mushy. You want it to be separate grains, not sticky and a little chewy.
    If using cauliflower rice, you can lightly steam it or use it raw.
  • While grain is cooking, prep the vegetables. Dice the onion, pepper and zucchini. Quarter the tomatoes. Cut the florets from the broccoli stem into small bit size pieces. Peel the remaining stem to remove the thick outer fiber and then dice the crunchy inner stem of the broccoli. Remove the leaves from the parsley stems and mince.
  • Combine vegetables and chickpeas, if using, in a mixing bowl, toss to combine.
  • When the grain is tender, drain any remaining water from the pan and add grain to the vegetables and let cool.
  • Add half the dressing and toss to completely coat the salad. Enjoy the salad at room temperature. Add more dressing before serving or pass with the salad.

Notes

I usually make this salad without the chickpeas and pile falafels on top. 
Veg patty and Brussels Sprouts

Maple Glazed Brussels Sprouts

Chef KimLeave a Comment on Maple Glazed Brussels Sprouts

Crunchy with a bit of sweetness is the BEST way to eat Brussels sprouts! These Maple Glazed Brussels Sprouts are a favorite and easy to make your own.

  • You need a pound of Brussels sprouts
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 1 T maple syrup
  • salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 or fire up the grill.  Rinse the sprouts under running water and pull off any loose outer leaves. Trim the stem if it has dried out or turned brown, and cut each sprout in half through the stem end.

Place the sprouts in a bowl and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup. Toss to coat the sprouts and pour onto a baking sheet turning them so the cut side is down. Place the sheet pan in the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes until they get a little brown and crispy. If grilling, pour onto a sheet of foil and wrap the foil loosely and pinch edges to seal it and place it on a hot grill for 13-20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!!

 

bean, orange and arugula salad

White Bean, Orange and Arugula Salad

Chef KimLeave a Comment on White Bean, Orange and Arugula Salad

Pile this salad into a bowl for a full meal. It’s filling and satisfyingly tasty. Adding beans to a salad, increases the protein, carbohydrate and fiber content.  White beans, oranges and arugula complement each other in flavor and texture, making a tasty bite with each forkful. Give this bean, orange and arugula salad a try!

This salad has a citrus dressing – a combination of hop pepper and lime which adds a nice acidic tang to the sweetness of the orange and spiciness of the arugula. The creaminess of the beans help to mellow some of the spice, but feel free to leave it out if you are sensitive to cayenne.

When considering the sprouts for this salad, use leafy sprouts rather than the crunchy legume sprouts. And depending on your desire for spice, radish sprouts add a kick, while pea shoots, broccoli, kale and sunflower sprouts are all mild. I decide based on whats available and freshest at the store if I haven’t sprouted any myself.

For another recipe post using leafy green sprouts and crunchy sprouts as the focus, go HERE.

Oranges add sweetness and tang along with a juiciness that  lends itself nicely to compliment the dressing. Blood oranges are available only certain times of the year. If you can find them, give them a try. But don’t shy away from the recipe if you can’t find them, navel oranges are very nice, just a little sweeter. If you are not comfortable cutting the orange as indicated, you can add segments of the peeled orange without removing the membranes.

peeled and sliced orangeorange peeled with a knife

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you have any questions about this or any other recipe, please don’t hesitate to connect with me.

bean, orange and arugula salad
Print Recipe

White Bean, Orange and Arugula Salad

Prep Time15 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: arugula, citrus, orange, salad, white bean
Author: Chef Kim

Equipment

  • knife
  • large serving bowl

Ingredients

  • 1 small hot red chili thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 T fresh lime juice
  • 2 tsp red wine vinegar
  • Sea salt ground black pepper
  • 3 cups cooked white beans navy, cannellini, great northern (or 2 cans)
  • 3 navel or blood oranges sliced or supremed
  • 2 stalks celery very thinly sliced on a diagonal
  • 1 cup sprouts pea, radish, or broccoli, divided
  • 1/4 cup cilantro leaves divided
  • 4 cups arugula

Instructions

  • Combine the chili, oil, lime juice, vinegar, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl.
  • Add the beans and let them marinate in the dressing while preparing the vegetables.
  • Use a knife to peel the oranges by cutting the peel off each end of the orange, set the orange on the cut end to stabilize and cut the peel from the flesh from top to bottom all around the orange. Once the peel and outer membrane is removed, slice thinly crosswise.
  • Add the oranges, celery, half the sprouts, cilantro and arugula to the beans and dressing, toss to coat and serve.
  • Garnish with more spouts.

Three Ways to Use Your Canned or Dry Beans

Chef KimLeave a Comment on Three Ways to Use Your Canned or Dry Beans

We have been under stay-at-home orders for about four weeks now. Did you stock up on canned items or dried beans?  I ended up getting the last 2 pound bag of navy beans on the shelf when I was shopping a couple weeks ago.  I have since batch-cooked them all, giving me a large quantity of white beans to incorporate into snacks and meals. I froze a few bags, used some in this SOUP and came up with the following three ways to use your canned or dry beans. For a primer on cooking dry beans go HERE.For each of these recipes you can use canned beans or some you’ve cooked yourself. Any white bean will do.

The first recipe is for a snack dip or lunch spread and one of the favorites in my house, Roasted Carrot Hummus, where we load it on flatbread crackers or pita bread and pile on chopped veggies or raw kraut or kimchi.

This next recipe is a hearty salad with White Beans, Oranges and Arugula. I love fresh greens with beans. Another combination to consider is: roasted chickpeas with garlic and back pepper, or plain tossed with shredded kale, bell peppers and tomatoes with a balsamic dressing

The third bean-based recipe is a Mediterranean Skillet Meal. It’s easy to make with staples on hand. Again canned beans work just as nicely as your own cooked beans. I had artichokes and canned tomatoes in the pantry, so this came together quickly. If you make this during the summer when the tomatoes are at their peek, slow roasted tomatoes substituted for the canned tomatoes are lovely!

Try one of these recipes or all of them and make beans a common ingredient in your meals. Not only do beans taste good and have a nice supply of vitamins, minerals and fiber, they actually improve the gut microbiome, which is an important part of the immune system. At this time, during this pandemic, the immune system is vitally important. (Actually it is all the time.)

Cauliflower Happiness + 3 Recipes

Chef KimLeave a Comment on Cauliflower Happiness + 3 Recipes

I’m sure the cauliflower farmers are happy with all the new cauliflower products out there (pizza, buffalo tenders, tortillas) and the push to substitute this bland low carbohydrate vegetable for potatoes and rice. But we can be happy as well, because it is easy to prepare and is a nutritional powerhouse boasting high amounts of vitamin C and B6, calcium, magnesium phosphorus and potassium, antioxidants and fiber. All this leads to improving memory, inflammatory response, blood pressure, cardiovascular risk and cancer reduction.

I love it and use it as a base for cream sauces, frozen and added to smoothies, and as the star of a crunchy turmeric salad. If you try these recipes, please leave a comment.

Creamy White Sauce / Gravy 

  • 4 cups cauliflower, separated into florets
  • 1 cup yellow onion
  • 1-3 garlic cloves (how you like it)
  • 1/2 cup cashews
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup broth or plant milk
  • 1 T white miso
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning (or thyme, oregano, marjoram)
  • pinch cayenne or black pepper to taste
  • For Gravy: 1 lb mushrooms, sliced

Add the cauliflower, onion, garlic and water to a pot, bring to a boil and turn heat down to low, cover for 10 minutes until cauliflower is very tender. When done cooking, add the mixture to a blender along with the cashews, broth/milk, miso, and seasonings. Let cool a bit so the heat doesn’t blow the top off the blender. 🙂  Blend for a full minute, scrape down the sides of container and blend for another 30 seconds. It should be thick and creamy.  Use this as a white sauce for noodles, over root vegetables to make a scalloped casserole, in a squash lasagna or to make creamed greens.  For a gravy, slice and saute mushrooms and another cup of chopped onions, and pour this sauce into the pan once the mushrooms have cooked and lost most of their moisture. Use the gravy over grains, cooked with lentils, on top of veggie burgers or as a Rague with kale, chard and collard greens.

Cauliflower Berry Smoothie

  • 1/2 cup frozen cauliflower
  • 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
  • 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
  • 1-2 cups spinach
  • 1 cup nut or oat milk
  • add in to your taste, some cinnamon & ginger, or maca & cacao

Blend everything until thick and smooth. Drink Up!

Turmeric Cauliflower Salad 

  • 4-5 cups cauliflower florets in bite size pieces
  • 2 T red onion, chopped
  • 1 rib celery, chopped
  • 1/2 cup chickpeas (optional)
  • 1/2 cup veganaise
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric,(more to taste)
  • 1 T rice or cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

Break up the florets and add to a mixing bowl along with the onion, celery and chickpeas. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the veganaise, turmeric, vinegar, mustard and pepper. Taste this and see if you’d like more turmeric. Stir this into the cauliflower mixture, tossing to coat everything with the dressing. chill and serve. Keeps for 5 days.

Raspberry Vinaigrette

Chef KimLeave a Comment on Raspberry Vinaigrette
  • 1 ½ cups raspberries
  • 1 T raw apple cider vinegar
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 T honey
  • 3 T olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 pinch black pepper
  • 1 T fresh basil, minced or 1 tsp dried

 

Blend berries, vinegar and water together and pour through a nut milk bag or sieve to remove most of the little seeds. Combine and whisk in remaining ingredients until emulsified..  Dress salad greens and enjoy. The vinaigrette will keep for about a week, refrigerated.

Creamy Tahini Dressing

Chef KimLeave a Comment on Creamy Tahini Dressing
  • 1/2 c tahini
  • 1/4 c Immune vinegar*
  • 1/3 c raw kraut
  • 2T coconut aminos
  • 1tsp Dijon
  • 2T nutritional yeast
  • 1tsp dill weed
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • 1 date, pitted
  • Pinch salt
  • Water if needed

Use a blender to blend everything until smooth and creamy.

This is great dressing for a slaw with cabbage, peppers, spinach and sprouts or tossed with kale and dehydrated to make kale chips.

*immune vinegar is cider vinegar infused with mustard seed, horseradish, peppers, ginger and turmeric. Substitute plain cider vinegar if you don’t have Immune vinegar.